1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for providing a greater load-bearing surface for a pickup truck bed, and in particular to a pickup truck bed extender that can be quickly attached and removed from a pickup truck bed, and pivoted inside the bed to rest on the bed floor when not in use.
2) Description of the Prior Art
The beds of most pickup trucks are shorter than many items, such as lumber, plywood, ladders, canoes, and other length items that the user needs to transport. As a result, the item extends beyond the back of the pickup truck bed, even with the tailgate in its lowered, horizontal position. Many items extend so far beyond the back of the bed that there is a risk of the item tipping and falling from the bed. In addition, many items require support near the rear end to prevent breakage.
This problem has been long recognized and numerous designs of devices known as truck bed extenders have been proposed. Generally, a conventional truck bed extender is comprised of a lower frame section or base that is attached, e.g., by bolting, to the pickup bed floor, and an upper frame section that is slidably attached to the lower frame section in a manner permitting rearward movement of the upper frame section beyond the rear of the pickup bed, thereby providing a carrying surface of greater length.
These conventional truck bed extenders, while somewhat useful for their designed function, have several disadvantages. Most bed extenders are designed for permanent installation in the truck bed, or are so difficult to remove that they are normally left in the truck bed. When not used as bed extenders, these devices take up a significant percentage of the carrying space available in the truck bed, diminishing the pickup truck's utility.
Pickup truck beds are available in a variety of widths. Many existing truck bed extenders are designed for use with a truck bed of a given dimension. As a result, it is not possible to move the bed extender to a truck bed of a different size. Commercially, manufacture and inventorying of bed extenders of different sizes is required to meet the requirements of different purchasers.
Therefore, there is a continuing need for a pickup truck bed extender that can be quickly installed in and removed from a pickup truck bed. There is also a need for a pickup truck bed that can be easily adjusted to fit different size pickup truck beds.